A L'cie's-
by BlackLolitaGirl
Summary: She was just a college student visiting from Eden... she wasn't supposed to be a l'cie. The whole of Bohdum, tourists and locals, all sent to be murdered on the Hanging Edge because of a fal'cie that had been there for centuries since the war. However, Amelia's branding will open her eyes to the darkest of Cocoon's realities.
1. A Fugitive's Struggle

**A L'cie's Life**

**A FFXIII fanfiction I *finally* decide to publish. It's just a test to measure my progress as a writer, as well. Critique welcomed.**

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"Bohdum is so peaceful. You should have come with me, like I asked for the past school year."

"Yeah yeah yeah. Whatever. You enjoy those famed fireworks that Bohdum makes tourists flock to regularly."

"Alright, I will record the show tomorrow night. Love you."

"Love you, too, sis."

The words continued to echo in Amelia's mind. Anything to keep from losing her sanity. She was looking at the other passengers in the train car, and some other victims whose faces or actions were printed into memory. A mother and her son from Palumpolum, suffering the same fate she was. A cheery girl with curly pigtails, taking all this mess in stride. The leader of NORA and his closest friends, and he was desperate to find this Serah person. A sister, or a trusted comrade of sorts, maybe? A black man, with a chocobo chick in his afro accompanied by this Guardian Corps sergeant willing to be Purged. When Amelia was "kindly" escorted to a Purge train, she overheard the conversation. That was admirable. She didn't expect people with special privileges to not make use of them, not even soldiers. Luckily, she was able to sit on the woman's left side. Amelia expressed her admiration in the sergeant's decision, but didn't get a reply. Not that she expected to.

She thought of her family back in Eden, her wish to deal with military weaponry or military history- whichever fitted her best- and her ex-boyfriend Chris. She thought of her failed escape attempt, her half hour in a recently abandoned Guardian Corps weapons facility and how she was able to get her hands on a Gravity Bomb. She would have been able to find some weapons like a gunblade or a rifle and some bullet cartridges for reloading, but this would have to do for now. She would probably need it on Pulse... if they were even going to make it. All the movies and books about the military solving public hysteria were never like the real thing. These soldiers, who may have been talking and laughing with the civilians and tourists just two days before were pointing their rifles, semiautomatics and machine guns in those same people's faces. Some have even shot and killed some runners. It made her angry, sad, betrayed, and confused all at once.

The train hits something that causes the whole car to shake, rattling her back to grim reality. That woman was kicking PSICOM butt like it was just a warm-up for the real fight. As the troops were distracted, Amelia ransacked the car with everyone's belongings. She found her camera, where she had recorded the fireworks show, her phone, and her college ID. She knew the ID was useless, because otherwise, she and the the other tourists stuck in this pandemonium would be home free, away from the pain. She still stuffed it and her camera into her uniform jacket, getting off as soon as the car came to a stop. She crawled out, seeing the sergeant and the man with the chocobo chick fighting a manasvin warmech. "Shit!" She jumped onto the bridge below, as the sergeant and her companion followed shortly after. The sergeant took a side glance at Amelia, and walked off. Amelia stayed behind to make sure the guy with the chocobo was alright, laughing at his comment about being too old for this.

"You got a name, kid?" He asked as they followed behind the soldier.

"Amelia. Amelia Bishop. And you?"

"Sazh Katzroy." Amelia nodded and looked ahead. She spotted something grayish blue, jogging to it. "Hey, hey! What are you doing?" Amelia picked up the container, and sure enough, there was something in it.

"A gunblade. It's an older model, but just as effective as mine. Keep it. You're going to need something to protect yourself." Amelia jumped at the sound of the sergeant's voice. "We can't mess around. Let's go." Amelia hugged the weapon close, having so much to ask. (How do you clip on this thing? How is it different from the sergeant's? What is her name?)

"Excuse me, miss- AHHH!" A missile hit the bridge thirty feet of them, knocking majority into oblivion. Her side met cold steel as the shockwaves tore through. How could that woman still be standing after that blast? It took her about two minutes to recover from the impact, and soon they were rerouted- the sergeant's gravity bomb stopped working. "Excuse me, Sergeant? What's your name?" She got no response, instead, they had another fight with PSICOM grunts and a few pantherons. Amelia just stuck to cutting down a pantheron, hoping the sergeant would slow down enough to show her the proper way to use it later, but then again, she doubted that, too.


	2. A Fugitive's Purpose

**A L'cie's Life**

**Critique welcomed.**

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After the fight, Amelia sat down, fiddling with her gunblade case. "What are you doing? Get up!"

"Sergeant, how am I supposed to use this at all? I can barely use the sword part and the gun's out of the question. How am I going to protect myself?" The sergeant took Amelia's gunblade, case and all, and took off her own, comparing the two. After about five minutes, she handed Amelia her newfound weapon case, standing with her own.

"Watch closely." She effortlessly reattached the case onto her person, but her "student" had some trouble. After the cases were back on their bodies, the sergeant grabbed their gunblades, and sheathed them inside. "This is how you draw your sword." She slowed her speed to demonstrate proper technique, and even showed her how to use the gun. After the miniature tutoring lesson, the group ran off to make up for lost time.

_What is the point of this? All this damn shooting and Pulse paranoia... _Amelia laughed at her own joke. Pulse paranoia. What if she told her fellow rebels? Would they laugh? Roll their eyes? Would they even respond? As they encountered more PSICOM, an enforcer looked at them.

"Deportees, huh?" He seemed to look at Amelia. "Isn't that an Eden University Military Studies uniform?"

"Don't answer." The sergeant mumbled. Amelia nodded to the sergeant, but the enforcer took it as his answer.

"I see. What's an Eden resident doing here? Miss, I suggest you drop the weapon and run. I wouldn't want things to turn ugly."

"Translation, sergeant?" She asked, drawing her weapon anyway.

"He'll kill you regardless. That or worse." Amelia knew that the second PSICOM started chasing her, the second she saw other tourists being rounded up like cattle. The locals who had no idea that a monstrosity such as a Pulse Fal'cie was within walking distance... The government was full of bull. After the PSICOM team's defeat, and more running, there was a loud siren, and the air was even more tense with a foreboding aura. Sazh was the first to point out the cause of this living hell, and they could only stare at the Fal'cie, with fear, pure hatred, and clandestine determination. She wondered about Snow, and the other members of NORA, and the woman and her son from Palumpolum. What good is being here? Amelia sighed and shook her head, running to catch up to Sazh and the sergeant.


	3. A Fugitive's Discovery

**A L'cie's Life**

**Critique welcomed. Yes, I am still alive.**

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All the liquor in Cocoon could not help Amelia with what she was looking at- the entrance into the Bohdum Vestige. She was scared beyond belief, but her face was unreadable. Just as soon as this was over, she would curl up in a corner and die. That's what she planned on doing, if whatever was in there didn't kill her first. The team headed inside, and Amelia took in the sight. On the outside, it didn't look like much, but inside it was like an ancient temple. Then again, this was only logical. The Bohdum Vestige had been around since the end of the War of Transgression, and nobody had been in it since. Strangely, Amelia grew curious- her inner historian was showing. Who exactly had been in here? The l'cie, most likely, but if she ever had the chance to go to Hell on earth, she'd ask what having a living Pulse fal'cie was like.

"To think, this had been here for centuries... amazing..." Sazh gave her his most disturbed look.

"This thing is why we've had bullets flying at us left and right, and you say that this is amazing? Are you crazy?"

"No, but think about it. This thing has slept for centuries, unnoticed by Cocoon's people, and some of few surviving relics from the War of Transgression. This is historic gold." When both the sergeant and Sazh gave her a 'seriously?' look, Amelia gave them a sheepish smile. "My inner geek comes out around stuff like this. Just ignore me." They continued to search the vestige, until they found themselves trapped inside a small vestibule. The door had what seemed to be the fal'cie's brand, glowing bright red and scaring Amelia even more. If that's what the brand looked like, she was certainly glad it wasn't on her. It was creepy.

"Cover your ears!" The sergeant ordered, and she and Sazh did so, making some distance between them and the door. When the rumbling started, Amelia saw the door open for them, and she tapped Sazh's shoulder, pointing to the door a slightly surprised sergeant.

"Well, I hope this isn't a trap. I really want to go back home. ...Oh, fuck it!" The sergeant looked at Amelia and quietly shook her head. "They'll think we're l'cie if we go back. We're considered contaminated with Pulse cooties or something. I say we do some sightseeing-"

"We can't. I have a specific goal in mind."

"Really, Sergeant? What is it?"

"Call me Lightning. And I'm here for my sister."


	4. A Fugitive's Resolve

**A L'cie's Life**

**Critique welcomed. Yes, I am still alive.**

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After Lightning explained the reason why she was in the Vestige, Amelia began to withdraw from the others, the gears in her brain working overtime. How were they supposed to know where her sister was? It could take at least two days, and time was something they didn't have. Some bluish monstrosities started appearing at the top of a stairwell, making Amelia quietly shrink behind Lightning.

"Excuse you, but I would like for you to get from behind me. Now." Amelia stood up, casting nervous glances at the monsters.

"Are those Cie'th?"

"Yeah, l'cie who failed their Focus. My sister is a L'cie." Well. Didn't that beat all? "And the only salvation they have is destruction." _Sure, sounds like a plan, because if I had the the choice between Cie'th City and Crystallization Corner, I would choose crystallization any day! _Amelia thought rather sarcastically. There is no other way to be free of the L'cie curse, so anything that can spare the L'cie a shred of their humanity is the only option. Even eternal servitude to a Fal'cie. Sazh questioned Lightning about her sister's Focus, to only find out that Lightning didn't know. He reasoned that she might be a Cie'th now, depending on her Focus. That just pissed Lightning off. Amelia was silently praying that Lightning's sister was still human when they get to her. For some reason, she doubted that the sergeant wouldn't be able to cope if her sister became a Cie'th. But even so, Sazh was right. Lightning's sister wasn't a human anymore.


	5. Pulse 101: Cocoon Studies

**Pulse 101: Cocoon Studies**

**Critique welcomed. I apologize for the very long wait. Being a senior is extremely difficult, especially when juggling precalculus and other stuff.**

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The contraptions that guided the group deeper into the vestige were rather high tech for it to be several centuries old. Amelia expected it to be lots of stairs, the occasional elevator, but the hand activated machinery was just mind-blowing. Pulse must have been more technologically advanced than she was led to believe. But she remembered the looks that Lightning and Sazh gave her when she expressed her interest in studying these ancient ruins. _Just keep walking, don't say a word. Keep your opinions to yourself! _Sometimes, it hurt to be in Military History. She was around history, Maker-dammit! She could brag about being in a Pulse Vestige, and surviving, if Pulse was one of those adrenaline rush things some of the frat boys at Eden U did.

"Stay close, Amelia. Don't know what other Pulse nasties could be crawling around." Speaking of crawling, a flock of flying Cie'th decided to make an appearance on the stairway towards the Fal'cie, and hopefully Serah, as a human.

"What were you saying about Pulse nasties, Sazh?" Amelia drew her gunblade with a haughty look in her eyes.

"Oh, shut up." Sazh readied his pistols, not amused in the slightest.

"You can argue later. Extermination of the Cie'th is more important." After the battle, the trio ascended the stairway, neither Sazh nor Amelia wanting to say anything. Lightning looked too focused, and if her abilities in combat were any indication, it would not fare well for either person to offend her right then. If anything, what would happen after this part? Would they make it out alive? Make out as l'cie? Become Cie'th? She was too frightened to even want to think. Luckily, she didn't have to, because they found Lightning's sister at last.

Lightning could not sound more human than when she grabbed her sister. This was the Serah that the leader of NORA and Lightning had been talking about. If Serah was Lightning's sister, what was she to the members of NORA?

"That's a Pulse brand. That girl's a l'cie." Sazh was about to ready his pistols.

"No shit, Sherlock. We weren't aware of that when we got here." Amelia glared at him, as if the man would realize he was stating the obvious.

"I already told you that." Lightning got defensive immediately.

"Pulse l'cie are the enemies of Cocoon." _And again, no shit. This wasn't already ingrained into our minds since birth, wait, what is he doing? Lightning will kill him three times over if he's doing what I think he's about to do!_ Serah weakly spoke to Lightning, and Amelia accredited it to the brand's effects. Then, the leader of NORA shouted from an elevator, accompanied by the girl in curly pigtails and the boy from Palumpolum. Where was his mother? As the leader ran over to the group, Serah called him her hero.

Oh.

Oh... that's his girlfriend. Lightning didn't seem too pleased to see him like Serah was, then when he called her his sister, Amelia retracted the girlfriend theory. Serah was his fiancee. To be honest, Serah looked far too young to be his fiancee, let alone his girlfriend. But that was something to say for another time. Suddenly, Serah started to glow blue, and for the first time in her life, Amelia witnessed a real l'cie complete their Focus, and become a crystal. She looked eerily beautiful as a crystal tear fell into her fiance's hand, and Amelia could feel her heart shatter at the look on both her sister and her fiance's faces. To get so far only to have Serah become a crystal... In hindsight, it was better this way than for Serah to be a Cie'th. But that also went on the list of things she couldn't say to Lightning right then. He said something like sweet dreams, but Amelia was too focused on Serah to say anything. In a fit of anger, Lightning shoved her and Sazh out of the way to yell at her future brother about Serah being alive or dead. He then went on about the rewards of a l'cie who completes his or her Focus, and they all looked at him, unsure of what to say. There hadn't been any l'cie since the War of Transgression, which was 500 to 600 years ago. And to be honest, there were no l'cie, Pulse or Sanctum, to prove it true or false. Whether Serah is alive or dead is up for speculation, something NO ONE had time for. When Lightning punched Serah's "hero" in the face, Amelia audibly winced, seeing how brutal the woman could be in combat. She kind of felt bad for them, but what could she do? She barely met any of them, and introductions are not best when fighting and running for your life. So, Amelia kept quiet, as she always did, and tried to avoid debris from the Sanctum strike that begun soon after.


	6. Meet Anima: Your Fal'cie Master

**Meet Anima: Your Fal'cie Master**

**Critique welcomed. I love you people! I didn't think that an OC insertion of a game with only six playable characters could be so popular! (Amelia: As popular as she ever has been. ㇨1(^_^ゞ ))**

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"So... This is the... fal'cie." For all of Cocoon to be so frightened of it, she really didn't see why it was so intimidating. It looked like a bunch of construction junk with satellite television service. Was this some kind of joke? It sure wasn't fucking funny. Brewing in her annoyance, Amelia wasn't even aware Snow had been talking until he said something about Serah being given a focus. She sympathized with his wish to be with her again, but begging a machine that is the reason why nearly half the population of Bohdum has been wiped out, tourists and locals alike, is just pathetic.

For once she agreed with Lightning on something. Even if this sorry-looking piece of scrap metal was a fal'cie, why would it give a damn about them? It didn't fight back when all of Bohdum was Purged nor was it fighting back in The Hanging Edge. This thing was a waste of time and effort. The whole room started to glow, and with that Amelia finally felt the intimidation and fear that hadn't been there before. _There it is_, she thought with her hand on her sword. Looking at the young boy and girl with pigtails, she could have sworn the girl looked sad, but definitely not scared or angry. Perhaps she was just imagining things, but she figured there was still time to run. And run she did. She was nearly out of the throne room when the Fal'cie blocked her way with that seal. She wanted to scream in utter frustration. Why in the hell can't one thing go right?! She sat in petulant fashion and watched Lightning, Sazh and Snow fight the Fal'cie, then focused her attention on the young boy and the girl with pigtails. There was a bright light and she encountered a sense of weightlessness.

"What did you do?!" Amelia yelled, but it was like her voice was not heard. There was a choir, somewhere, however the only word she understood was "Ragnarok". The sound of a chime interrupted all motion as the crystals below lit up and summoned a majestic being surrounded by church bells. Was this the real Fal'cie? Good Lord, it was huge! Whips of light surrounded her and kept her tangled as she tried to wrench free. She could only watch in horror as her companions were branded. A stream of light headed her way just as quick as her mind. _I'm going to die, right here and now_. A shriek tore from her throat as a searing pain encompassed her right arm. She didn't even feel the returning weightlessness, her mind too focused on a monster tearing through Cocoon like wet paper and destroying Eden.

After the vision disappeared, she remembered her friend Delilah, who also wanted to join PSICOM. She wanted to be an inquisitrix. Amelia was more ambitious, Colonel Jihl Nabaat her idol. She was doing so many tutoring hours just to even attempt Nabaat's marks that it was ridiculous. She wanted to be that awesome.

_It was another lecture on PSICOM History. Anyone else would have a tape recorder in case they fell asleep, but Amelia couldn't really sleep last night. THE Jihl Nabaat was speaking and she was even getting there early! Eden must be smiling on her today!_

_"Excuse me, miss, but you are in my way." Amelia turned around to look at the owner of the voice and her blood ran cold. Her heart raced. _

_"Oh my Eden... you're Colonel Nabaat." The grin spread wide on her face and her face flushed at the realization that she was in the way. "Sorry about that, Miss Nabaat. May I talk to you for a few minutes?" With a nod, Amelia composed herself enough not to scream in delight. "My name is Amelia Bishop and I really admire your work in PSICOM. I hope to join with my best friend Delilah."_

_"That explains why you are here so early. You do realize class doesn't start for another half hour, right?" Looking at the clock, Amelia wanted to smack herself. How could she have been so early? "While being prompt is a good trait, you should be careful not to be too early."_

_"Yes, ma'am." _How had it gotten so bad? Couldn't they get a little divine leniency?


End file.
